Internationally
acclaimed pianist and Yamaha Artist Nikita Fitenko has performed
recitals and with orchestras in the former Soviet Union, Europe,
Asia, and South and North America. He has appeared as a soloist
with such orchestras as St. Petersburg Capella Symphony, Russian
Chamber Philharmonic, Russian Philharmonic Orchestra of Moscow,
St. Petersburg State Conservatory Orchestra, State Hermitage Orchestra,
Slovak National Philharmonic, Corvallis Symphony Orchestra, Lewisville
Symphony, Rapides Symphony, and Northwestern Symphony Orchestra
among others.
While
performing a wide and diverse repertoire, Nikita Fitenko is an acknowledged
master of Russian piano music. His CDs for Altarus Records of complete
piano works by leading contemporary Russian composers Georgy Sviridov
and Sergei Slonimsky have garnered rave reviews from the international
music press. Fanfare Music Review wrote, "Fitenko plays magnificently!"
Slonimsky himself described Fitenko's interpretation of his piano
music as "outstanding." He also added, "It is very
vivid, imaginative, virtuosic, fascinating, and pianistically brilliant."
Mr. Fitenko's recording of Scriabin's Piano Concerto with the Russian
Philharmonic Orchestra of Moscow was released internationally on
Classical Records label. His latest solo recordings of works by
Bach, Beethoven, Mussorgsky, and Rachmaninov as well as 'All Tchaikovsky
CD' for Classical Records were released in 2015 & 2017 (all
recordings are available through Amazon & iTunes).
In
addition to solo recitals, Nikita Fitenko performs extensively in
piano duo with Katerina Zaitseva. Hailed by critics for their "superlative
sound, superlative interpretation, and superlative pianism
",
the duo has performed worldwide with most recent appearances at
the Moscow State Conservatory Hall (Russia), Madeira Music Festival
(Portugal), Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage (Washington, D.C.),
Yamaha Hall (NYC), Piano Duo Series (Tokyo, Japan), Nancyphonies
Music Festival (France), University of Florida Young Pianists Festival,
and Berkeley University (California, USA). Their critically acclaimed
CDs featuring works for piano four hands by Robert Schumann and
Johannes Brahms and works for two pianos by Sergei Rachmaninov have
been released internationally by the Classical Records label and
are available through Amazon & iTunes.
Native
of St. Petersburg, Russia, Nikita Fitenko graduated from the St.
Petersburg State Conservatory with a citation for excellence given
to only five other graduates in the last fifty years. After receiving
the Anton Rubinstein Memorial Award, he came to study to the US
pursuing his master's and doctoral degrees from the University of
North Texas. His principal teachers included Roman Lebedev, Igor
Lebedev, and Joseph Banowetz.
Dr. Fitenko has been invited to serve on many international piano
competition juries, including 2021 Dubai International Piano Competition
(UAE), 2015 & 2018 Campillos International Piano Competition
(Malaga, Span), 2013 Schubert International Piano Competition (San
Cristoforo, Italy), 2012 Nordic International Piano Competition
(Malmo, Sweden), 2011 & 2022 Chopin International Piano Competition
(Hartford, CT), 2010 & 2015 & 2018 Scriabin International
Piano Competitions (Grosetto, Italy), 2009 American Pianists Association's
Classical Fellowship Awards (Indianapolis, IN), 2008 & 2019
Rachmaninov International Piano Competition (Moscow, Russia), and
2003 World International Piano Competition (Cincinnati, OH) among
others. He has presented master classes at Verdi Conservatory of
Music (Turin, Italy), Hochschule fur Musik (Saarbruken and Cologne,
Germany), Tokyo College of Music, Jose Iturbi Conservatory of Music
(Valencia, Spain), Estonian Academy of Music (Tallinn, Estonia),
Korean National, Yeonsei, Hanyang, Sejong, ChungAng Universities
(South Korea), Sichuan Conservatory, Xinghai Conservatory, Jinan
University, Changchun University, Hangzhou University (China), as
well as at the 2010 Convention of the Maryland State Music Teachers
Association, and 2009 Chinese-American International Piano Institute
(Chengdu, China). Among his students are winners of national and
international competitions including the National MTNA Competition.
Currently,
Dr. Fitenko holds a position of Associate Professor of Piano at
the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Prior to
that he was Associate Professor and Coordinator of Keyboard Area
at Northwestern State University of Louisiana. He is the Artistic
Director of the American International Piano Festival & Competition
(www.aipfc.us) and the Washington International Piano Festival (www.washingtonpianofest.com).
Dr. Fitenko was also the founder of the Louisiana International
and Florida International Piano Competitions.
Home
| Biography | Recordings
| Repertoire | Events
| Contact
Email
the Webmaster
|